Erik is a baseball fan who has been attending baseball games and snagging baseballs regularly since 2008.

6-3-11 PNC Park

It’s been about 10 days since my last game. I’ve cut down on the road trips since last year, as an average trip to Cleveland costs $75 a game, and a trip to Washington or Baltimore averages about $100 a game in gas and tolls. It wasn’t worth it to me.

Amy and I have spent the last ten days scouring the housing market. I’ve decided that I want to have a nice house for my baby daughter (due in August) to grow up in. Our current one bed room apartment just isn’t cutting it.

Amy and I have been putting together lists, driving around, and scratching off 80% of the houses we drive by. We’ve toured six solid contenders so far, and are looking at houses in the $150,000-$200,000 range. All of the ones we like are 200k, which is a huge commitment. So, as you can see, at least for the time being, I would rather spend my money on a house than ballhawking trips as I have in the past.

Anyhow, my first two balls of the day came from Brandon Wood. The first one was thrown to me from left field, but fell well short. The ball rested on the warning track, where I glove tricked it for ball #1.

I usually do not use my glove trick during the Pirates batting practice. I figure that if I am seen using the glove trick it will make the Pirates pitchers less likely to want to toss me a ball. However, since many of the Pirates pitchers seem to dislike the fact that I am there every game, I just went for it.

Wood did not see me use the glove trick, and turned and threw a perfect strike to me for ball #2 at the end of the Pirates batting practice.

My third ball was glove tricked during the Phillies BP in left field, and my fourth ball was a clean catch of a home run here:

My fifth and final ball was glove tricked in right field.

It wasn’t any usual glove trick. It was the first time I ever glove tricked a ball from a top the Clemente wall.

I spent the last twenty minutes in left field, but didn’t get anything. It was just too crowded.

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.